Holocaust & Genocide-Themed Exhibit Coming To Maltz Museum

BEACHWOOD, OH — A poignant new exhibit will explore the lives of survivors of genocide.

The Holocaust and genocide-themed exhibit, called Stories of Survival, will open at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage on Oct. 27. It will showcase more than 60, never-before-seen personal items brought to the U.S. by survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides.

Each artifact will be showcased alongside large photos by documentarian Jim Lommasson, with handwritten responses by survivors or their family members. Items on display will include a baby doll and a black suitcase, and things as symbolic as a young mother's cookbook and a wedding announcement.

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The artifacts come from survivors of the Holocaust and genocides in Armenia, Bosnia, Cambodia, Iraq, Rwanda, South Sudan and Syria.

"The objects are a reflection of their owners’ journeys and family histories. And though the objects and memories start from very different origins, from Germany to Belgium to Armenia to Syria, common threads bind them all together. These are the threads that bind us all, the common story of moving to a new land, building a new life, yet holding on to the past. We are all connected to these stories; we have them in our own families. They are the commonality of an immigrant experience, an American experience," the Maltz Museum said of the exhibit.

To celebrate the opening, the public is invited to a special Zoom ceremony on Oct. 27 featuring the exhibit's co-creators, curator Arielle Weininger and photographer Jim Lommasson. Tickets are $5 for the general public, but are free for museum members.

Opening week will continue to offer discounted admission tickets ($5 for general admission, free for members) to tour the exhibit. Masks are required for entry and social distancing will be enforced.

Visitors can also take a virtual tour of the exhibit, if they don't feel comfortable touring in-person.